Report asserts that pay-TV should watch out for digital downloads

Seriously, who's noton watch for digital downloads these days? DVDs? Check. Blu-ray Discs? Check. Pay-TV operators? Check. According to new data gathered by Research and Markets, "console-affiliated media portals such as Microsoft's Xbox LIVE and Sony's PlayStation Network will soon become formidable competitors to incumbent pay-TV services." As the report notes, the digital downloads available via these services will eventually become "compelling alternatives to traditional TV programming by providing a more immersive, interactive video experience." Of course, this "research" comes at a time when everyone and their mother are jumping on this bandwagon, but it's still reasonable to assert that most anything providing access to content via the internet has a serious chance to replace traditional pay-TV services. Whether or not that actually happens en masse, however, remains to be seen.